I cooked white and black beans for the first time this week. I was really nervous since I’ve only ever used dried pinto beans before. I make refried beans in the crockpot though and they turn out great- I just add a couple cups of beans, a diced onion, a little garlic, salt, and cumin and fill the pot almost to the top with water. When I come home they smell great and taste so good with cheese, on burritos, as bean dip- and they are super super cheap. I hope you’ll try it! :)

As for the macarons, I haven’t worked up the courage to try them yet! I’m scared!

read bravetart’s myths and commandments: http://bravetart.com/recipes/Macarons it is helping me get over my fear of macarons!! also, beans are pretty simple, let em soak for the time it says on the package then just cook. i started with pinto beans from a bag and cooked in a crock pot, perfect :)

Pie dough. Not making it, that’s something I can do. It’s the rolling, trimming and fitting that stresses me out. That, and the fact that the baked crust usually melts and looks nothing like it did when first crimped.

I agree! I made a beautiful crust, it looked so nice. I blind baked it and it all ended up in the bottom of the pan. I guess I really do need to use ‘pie weights’ of some kind when blind baking! I guess one should read the directions very carefully and actually follow them for best results.
But Dorie is patient and an excellent teacher.
Maybe she should have had a photo of what happens when blind baking without weight!!

The last time I used gelatin I ruined 2 cups of extra heavy whipping cream. I cried. Then I discovered ‘Whip It’, a wonderful product that stabilizes whipped cream. But I have to purchase it at an import store when I visit my daughter in Chicago. It is made in Canada.